James Jackson was born at Hempstead (or Flushing), Long Island, about 1670. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Seaman) Jackson, who lived first at Queens County, L.I., then at Hempstead, L.I., and later at Jerusalem, L.I.. James Jackson was one of eight children.

It is obvious that the Jackson family was close to the Greenes, the Seamans and the Hallets. Early in 1694 James Jackson married at Hallets Cove (now Astoria, L.I.), to Rebecca Hallet. She was born at Newtown, LI, on 31 August 1675, to William Hallet and Sarah Woolsey Hallet. James' brother, Samuel, first married Ruth Smith who was the sister or cousin of Rachel Smith, wife of William Greene. Samuel then married Abigail Seaman; they had eight children. James' sister, Hannah, married Richard Seaman; they had two sons.

James and Rebecca Jackson had twenty-one children! Four were born before the turn of the century. Thomas was born December 1694, Mary in 1696, Sarah in 1697 and `little Rebecca' was born in 1699. It might be noted here that `Little Rebecca' married Sylvanus Seaman.

James Jackson had received 25 acres of woodlands from his father in August 1699. The land was located in the "Great Plain" near the north boundary of Hempstead. His principal place of residence was Rockaway (or Rocky Hill), at Flushing, L.I.. Early in 1700, James became a Quaker. On 1 April 1701, he was elected as the Clerk of the Town of Hempstead. His principal place of residence was Rockaway (or Rocky Hill), at Flushing, L.I..

The Jackson's had eighteen more children were born between 1701 and 1719. Martha Jackson was born on 26 January 1709.

In 1715, James Jackson's father deeded him 131 acres of land at Harbor Hill, Hempstead. When James' father died in 1725, he was willed many more acres of land.

James' wife, Rebecca (Hallet) Jackson died in 1730 at the age of fifty-five. Fifty-two days he remarried. This action caused the Quaker church to "dismiss him in 1731. After all, James was a widower with twenty children. Of course eight had already married; Martha Jackson was twenty-one. The remaining eleven children were living at home, and the youngest was eleven. James Jackson died in 1735 at the age of sixty-five.

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JOHN JACKSON and ELIZABETH SEAMAN

John Jackson was born about 1647 at Hempstead, Queen's County, Long Island. His father, Robert Jackson, was born at Scrooby, England about 1620. It is believed that Robert and his parents emigrated in 1640, first to Watertown, Mass. and then to Wethersfield, Ct. From there he was one of the first settlers of Stamford, Ct., and finally in 1643, he moved to Hempstead, Queens County, Long Island. He was among the first inhabitants and an original settler of the town of Hempstead. Hempstead was the first English settlement on the west end of Long Island. Hempstead is east of Jamacia. Long Island was then under Dutch jurisdiction. John Jackson's mother, Agnes Washburne, was born about 1624 to William and Jane Washburne. William Washburne, his wife and children came from England to Long Island, between 1637 and 1644. About 1644, Robert Jackson married Agnes Washburne.

The Seamans and Jacksons lived in Hempstead LI. Elizabeth and Captain John Seaman had five children. Their first child, John Jr., was born in 1645, Jonathan was born in 1647, Benjamin in 1649, Soloman in 1651, and little Elizabeth Seaman was born about 1650. William and Jane Washburne lived in Hempstead with their six of their seven children.

On 28 March 1658, Robert Jackson was appointed to served as an Indian Commissioner. He was a Member of the Assembly, and on 11 January 1664 he was a Member of the Commission to Gov. Stuyvesant. On 6 March 1666, he became a Grantee of land at Hempstead by Gov. Nicoll. After the English captured New York, in 1664, Robert Jackson was appointed as one of two deputies from Hempstead to a convention for framing a Code of Laws for the government of the Colony.

In 1666, Captain Seaman and his family settled on land received by special grant, from Gov. Nicholas, in the village of Jerusalem, in the town of Hempstead, LI. By 1668, John Seaman was recorded as one of the largest landholders. His daughter, Elizabeth Seaman was about eighteen at this time.

John Jackson first married Elizabeth Hallet, and little is known about this marriage. Elizabeth Hallet may have been the sister of William Hallet Jr. About 1670 John Jackson married Elizabeth Seaman. John and Elizabeth Jackson lived first at Queens County, L.I., then at Hempstead, L.I., and later at Jerusalem, L.I.. They had eight children, including our ancestor, James Jackson. James Jackson was born at Hempstead (or Flushing), Long Island, about 1670.

John's mother, Agnes Jackson, died in 1683. His father, Robert Jackson died a short time later, probably in 1684.. Being the oldest son, John apparently inherited his father's estate. John Jackson became one of the largest land owners (430 acres) of Queens Co., L.I.. On 9 October 1684, Lieut. John Jackson went to New York to obtain a patent for the Town of Hempstead. He was a Captain of the Queens Co. Troop in an expedition to Albany in 1687. On 5 April 1687, he obtained a grant for 200 acres of land at Jerusalem, Hempstead, L.I., becoming one of the first settlers there.

By 1698, John Jackson was a Major and was granted the privilege of setting up a mill on the Jerusalem River. He was a juryman on 9 July 1689 and High Sheriff of Queens County from 1691 to 1695. From 1693 to 1716, he was a Representative from Queens to the Colonial Legislature. In 1699, he was the Justice of the Peace at Queens Co.. In 1700, John Jackson became a Colonel of the Queens Co. Troop, and was the Commissioner of Highways in 1703. He was the Judge of the Common Pleas Court from 1710 to 1723. John Jackson died in 1725. The date of Elizabeth's death is unknown.

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REBECCA HALLET

Rebecca Hallet was born at Newtown, LI, on 31 August 1675, to William Hallet and Sarah Woolsey Hallet. Early in 1694 Rebecca and James Jackson married at Hallets Cove (now Astoria, L.I.) James and Rebecca Jackson had twenty-one children!  Rebecca (Hallet) Jackson died in 1730 at the age of fifty-five. See James Jackson above

CAPT. WILLIAM HALLET JR.

William Hallet Jr. was born about 1647. His parents were William Hallet and Elizabeth "Bess" Fownes. William's mother had been married twice before: first to Henry Winthrop and then Robert Feake. Elizabeth was a widow with six children so William Hallet Jr. had step-brothers and sisters ranging in ages from 2 to 17 years old.

Now Elizabeth "Bess" Frowns Winthrop Feake Hallet was an interesting person ...John Winthrop, the grandfather of "Bess", was an English colonial administrator who was the first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, serving seven terms between 1629 and 1649. His son John was three times governor of Connecticut (1636, 1657, and 1659-1676), and his grandson John (1638-1707), born in America, was also governor of Connecticut (1698-1707). Anne Winthrop was the older sister of John Winthrop.

Elizabeth "Bess" parents, Anne Winthrop and Thomas Fownes were married in 1605. She was born in 1610. When Elizabeth "Bess' was nine years old her mother died and was buried in London. at the age of nineteen, Elizabeth "Bess" Fownes married her first cousin, Henry Winthrop, at London on 25 April 1629.

Henry Winthrop left Elizabeth, who was pregnant, and set sail for New England in April 1630 aboard the ship "Tabot". Henry drowned at Salem, Mass. on 2 July 1630. Elizabeth, suddenly widowed, had her first child by him. Accompanied by Governor Winthrop's wife, Elizabeth and her daughter sailed to Boston aboard the ship "Lyon"; they arrived there 2 November 1631. In 1632, Elizabeth married Lt. Robert Feake of Watertown Mass. Robert came to New England with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630.

Robert Feake became insane after fathering five children. Elizabeth divorced Robert in 1647 and remarried William Hallet, who was born at Dorchestershire, England about 1616 and had already settled in Mass. After Elizabeth's remarriage, Robert Feake left New England in 1647 and returned to England; he left his lands in the care of William Hallet. Now, William Hallet Jr. was born about 1647. So 1647 was a busy year for "Bess"!

In 1652, William, Elizabeth and their children moved from Greenwich, Conn. to land granted them at "Hell's Gate" (Newtown LI). William fathered one child with Elizabeth. William Hallet Jr. was five years old at the time.

Captain William Hallet Jr. married in 1669 to Sarah Woolsey who was born in 1650, to George Woolsey and Rebecca Cornell Woolsey. Capt. Wm. Hallet Jr. commanded the Foot Company, from Newtown LI. and was the justice of peace at Newtown.

William and Sarah Hallet had ten children including Rebecca Hallet. Sarah and William Hallet's first child, William 3rd, was born 10 December 1670. Sarah was born in 1673. Rebecca Hallet was born at Hallet's Cove (now Astoria LI) on 31 August 1675. Sarah gave birth to seven more children between 1679 and 1691.

Sarah Woolsey Hallet died in 1692 at the age of forty-two. William Hallet Jr. was left a widower with ten children ranging in age from 22 to a year old. Captain William Hallet Jr. died in August 1729 at the ripe old age of eighty-one.

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SARAH WOOLSEY

Sarah Woolsey, was born in 1650 and baptized on 7 August 1650 at New Amsterdam. Sarah was the first child of George and Rebecca Woolsey. Her brother, George, was born at New Amsterdam on 10 October 1652. George Woolsey engaged in trade for several years, at New Amsterdam, with Isaac Allerton of Plymouth, who was a passenger on the Mayflower.

Sarah's father, George Woolsey, was born, at Yarmouth, England, on 27 October 1610. Sarah's grandfather, Rev. Benjamin Woolsey was the son of Thomas of Yarmouth, England, (a seaport town in Norfolkshire, about 120 miles northeast of London). Benjamin resided and preached at Yarmouth.

Because of religious persecutions, Rev. Woolsey emigrated from England with his son and went to Holland. Benjamin and George resided at Rotterdam, Holland, for some time before they embarked for New Amsterdam, in 1623, with Dutch Emigrants. We are not sure where Benjamin and George first settled, but by 1628, they were at Manhattan Island.

By 1628, George Woolsey was associated with the Dutch and English of New Amsterdam, and grew up on Manhattan Island, under the administration of Governors Minuit, Van Twiller, Kieft and Stuyvesant.

Sarah's mother was Rebecca Cornell who was born at Saffron Walden, Essexshire, England, about 1625, and was baptized there on 13 January 1630. Sarah's grandparents were Sarah Briggs and Thomas Cornell. They were married about 1619. Both the Briggs and the Cornell families were Quakers.

Thomas and Sarah Cornell had eleven children that were born near Saffron-Walden, in the manor Fausted. Eight of the children came to New England with Thomas and Sarah Cornell. The middle child, Rebecca Cornell,

The Cornell family emigrated from Hertford, England to Boston, Mass. about 1637 with Roger Williams and Ann Hutchinson, in the second Winthrop expedition. Rebecca Cornell was twelve years old at the time. That same year Rebecca's little sister died at five years old. Rebecca's mother had another little girl in 1637 They named the new baby, Elizabeth, after the daughter who died. Three more children were born in New England between 1639 and 1643.

On 6 September 1638, Thomas Cornell was licensed as an innkeeper at Boston. Records show that the tavern, he purchased at Boston on 20 August 1638, was sold in 1640. He had been fined and ordered to close the inn, because he violated certain laws. Apparently the Cornell family then left Boston and moved to Rhode Island. For the next twenty years, the Cornells bounce back and forth between Rhode Island and New York.

Records show that Thomas Cornell was at Portsmouth, R.I. on 4 February 1641, and was admitted as a Freeman of Portsmouth on 6 August 1640. He was granted land there on 6 February 1641, and served as a Constable of Portsmouth in 1641. In 1642, Thomas served as an Ensign in the Colonial Army of Rhode Island, under Governor Kieft in his war against the Indians.

In 1642, Thomas Cornell moved his family to New Netherlands (New York) along with Anne Hutchinson and John Throgmorton's company. Anne Hutchinson was an English-born American colonist and religious leader who had been banished from Boston for her religious beliefs. Rebecca was seventeen at the time. They settled at Throgg's Neck (Flushing, L.I.), near Hell's Gate. In June of 1643, Indians attacked the settlement, at Throgg's Neck, killing many of the settlers and all of the cattle.

Thomas Cornell and his family returned to Portsmouth where he secured a grant of land from the town on 29 August 1644. In 1646, he received a grant of one hundred acres on the south side of the Wading River, on the Narragansett Bay side of the island. Despite this grant of land, Thomas Cornell returned to New Amsterdam in 1646. New Amsterdam was originally call New Netherlands until 1626 when Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan and changed the name. In 1665 New Amsterdam becomes New York when English rule was established. As a result the names are used interchangeably.

On 26 July 1646, while at New Amsterdam, Thomas Cornell received a 700 acre land grant from Gov. Kieft in Westchester County, which became known as "Cornell's Neck". On 14 February 1647, Thomas again returned to Portsmouth and received a grant of 160 acres of land. He served in various public capacities at Portsmouth.

Records indicate that Sarah's father, George Woolsey was living with his father at Jamaica, L.I., in 1647. On 10 August 1647, George Woolsey bought a plantation at Flushing, L.I. where Thomas Cornell owned land. George Woolsey married Rebecca Cornell in the Dutch Church at Manhattan Island on 9 December 1647. Rebecca was twenty-two and George was thirty-seven. After bouncing around with her father, Rebecca must have yearned for a stable environment.

Sarah's grandfather, Thomas Cornell, was driven out of Cornell's Neck in New Amsterdam by Indians in 1653, and returned to Portsmouth RI. In 1654, Thomas moved to land that he purchased on the Wading River. He became a Commissioner of Portsmouth and died there in about 1655. His will, dated 5 December 1651, left his large property holdings to his wife. Thomas was buried at his Rhode Island homestead.

About 1660, George and Rebecca Woolsey, and their three children moved to Jamaica, L.I. Sarah Woolsey was ten years old at the time they moved; her younger brothers were eight and five years old. Rebecca gave birth to three more children. Her last child, William was baptized in 1678! [Rebecca would have been 56 and George would have been 68. Was William baptized at an older age?]

On 15 February 1664, George Woolsey acquired land at Jamaica, after becoming an early settler and a freeholder of that town in 1660. He lived there for over 30 years, and in 1673, he served as the Town Clerk of Jamaica.

Sarah Woolsey married in 1669 to Captain William Hallet Jr. He was the son of William Hallet and Elizabeth Fones.

Sarah Woolsey's grandmother, Sarah (Briggs) Cornell died, under unusual circumstances, in her home on 8 February 1673. She fell asleep by the fireplace and either burned herself to death with a pipe ash or a spark from the fireplace. She was buried at the homestead, next to Thomas. She deeded various land holdings to her children.

After Sarah (Briggs) Cornell's death, her brother - John Briggs, had a dream in which his sister told him that she was set a fire by someone. Since Sarah's uncle, Thomas Cornell Jr., was the last one to see his mother alive, the court charged and condemned him of the murder of Rebecca. Thomas Cornell Jr. was hanged on 23 May 1673.

On 17 May 1686, Governor Dougan issued a new patent to the town, and George Woolsey was listed as one of the Patentees. George died in his home at Jamaica on 17 August 1698, at the age of 88. His will was dated 2 November 1691, and was proved on 22 February 1699. Rebecca survived him and died on 5 February 1713.

William and Sarah Hallet had ten children including Rebecca Hallet. Sarah and William Hallet's first child, William 3rd, was born 10 December 1670. Sarah was born in 1673. Rebecca Hallet was born at Hallet's Cove (now Astoria LI) on 31 August 1675. Sarah gave birth to seven more children between 1679 and 1691. In November 1686 a new patent was granted by the Governor to both William Hallet Sr. and William Hallet Jr.

Sarah's father, George Woolsey, lived at Jamaica for over thirty years. In 1673 he served as Town Clerk. In May 1686, Governor Dougan issued a new patent to the town and George was listed as one of the Patentees.

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THE END OF THE JACKSON ANCESTORS